Loose stool is also known as diarrhea, or it can be regarded as one of the symptoms of diarrhea. It is a common medical condition that is known to affect dog health. Cases which are severe might not have any options to be treated except for at the vet. However, mild cases have several natural remedies which can be carried out at home. Treatment of diarrhea in dogs depends on various factors, which act as triggers for the condition. One common cause is feeding the dog with foods which are not suitable for them. Other causes may include eating garbage, infection, worms, poisoning, blockage, pancreatitis, kidney disease or hormone imbalance.

Canines have a metabolic system which is totally different from that of humans. So, it is quite a bit of an irresponsible behavior for dog owners to feed their pets with just any kind of food and taking it for granted that it would not do any harm to them.

Symptoms that Accompany Loose Stool In Dogs

Diarrhea is commonly accompanied by dehydration. Ailing dogs will be noticed to move bowels very frequently during the day and they might show very less activity or the least interest in food. The sick dog's stool can sometime be observed with mucus in them and this symptom indicates the severity of the problem in the dog's digestive system. In chronic conditions, the stool passed by the ailing dog might have blood in it and the animals might vomit out the food it has just eaten. Fever may also be present in some cases.

Treatment

Treatment can begin with giving the pet a bland diet. White rice and one or two tbsp. of cottage cheese is good enough to start with. Your pet might not go for the food at first go. So, you can add a few portions of low-fat ground beef to the food. Alternatively, you can feed your dog oatmeal with some yogurt. This will encourage and improve the digestion. Boiled chicken or turkey is also good for managing diarrhea in dogs. Also, take care that your pet is drinking plenty of water, lest it might suffer from dehydration due to the loss of immense amount of fluids from its body.

You can continue providing your pet with the bland diet until it stops showing symptoms of the illness. Thereafter, you can gradually help your pet to resume his normal food and in small amounts. It is beneficial for the pet if it can be fed with small amounts of canned pumpkin. This would help in providing fiber to his diet and firming up the loose stool as well. However, this time you have to ensure that you provide him with not just any kinds of food, but those which are suitable for him.

All the above remedies usually prove effective and helpful in most cases. However, if there are other underlying causes behind the loose stool, such as any kind of diseases, then there are high chances of the illness not getting subsided. So, in such a case, rather than repeating such remedies, hoping that the illness will get resolved, it will be wise on your part to take your pet to a vet for professional advice and care.